Wire-splicing tool



Feb. 2@,'1923. 1,445,635.

1-S-MCCHESNEY.

WiRE SPLICING TOOL. ORlGlNAL FILED MAR. 31, 1919- 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Feb, 26), 1923.

J. S. McCHESNEY. WIRE SPLICING TOOL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ORIGINAL FILED MAR. 31,1919.

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"JOHN SHERMAN IIOGJEUESNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AISSIGNOR,

CARY MANUFACTURING (30., 0F BRUOKLYN, NEW FUNK,

IEIEIITS, T0 TION OI NEW-YORK.

Application filed March 31, 1919, Serial No. 2863M.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, JoHN 'Urrnsivnr, citizen of sidin at Chicago,

BY IIESINE ASSJIGN- A GORIURA- ItIE-SPIJLGING 'IUUJL.

SHERMAN M0- the United States, re- Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Wire-Splicing Tool; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap-' description and exact pertains to make and use the same.

M invention relates to the joinin of wire portions by means of twists, one et its general objects being to provide a simple, effective and easily manlpulated appliance for producing a. firm, strai ht twist and to do ing t uniform and substantially this without hol e wires under tension. In my copend- ,ing application, filed March 31, 1919 as Serial No. 286,241 I have shown a tool for this P p a shaft operated through a gear carried by and arranged for clamping overlapped wire portions to hold these against rotation during the making of the twist, In that case, the twist was made by relatlvely rotating the overlapping wire portions disposed at opposite ends while firmly grippin tions and slidably against relative rotation.

In my present invention of the proposed twist one pair of these porolding the other pair I aim to provide an applianceconstruction in which both of the relatively rotated pairs of overlapped wire portions are confined against relative rotation of the wires comprising each portio-n, but are. both free to nally with respect to the confining means.

move longitudi- I hardened steel,

also aim to provide a simplified operating mechanism whlch will eliminate the gearing, and in which one of the wire-confining means will automatically be moved into and out of its operative position during the manipulae tion of the appliance.

Furthermore, I aim to provide simple means for affording a suitable handheld during appliance,

the operation of the and simple means for assembling relatively few parts.

Still further objects will appear from the follow:

ing specification and from drawings, in which Fig. 1 IS a perspective view the accompanying of an appliance embodying my invention.

'tatably mounted in a Renewed August M, 1922. Serial Ito. MLMt.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the head of the same and of a port-ion of the actuating shank. 1

1g. 3 is a central and longitudinal section taken vertically of the tool along the center line of Fig. 2. V

Fig. 4: is a section taken centrally operatin shank along the correspondingly numbere line in Fig. 3, and showing the finished twist while being withdrawn from the tool.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the forward end of the shank and through the twist-confining tube carried thereby, taken at right angles to the section of Fi I. v

Fig. 6 is a transverse section ta on along the correspondingly numbered line of Fig. 3.

of the Fig. 7 is a transverse section through the namely the fact that a straight and uniform twist may be made in a pair of overlap-pingwires without having these Wires under tension during the twist, provided that the portions of the wires which are to be intertwisted are so confined as to prevent a kinking or hunting of the wires during the making of the twist. For this purpose, I employ a confining tube 1 desirably made of of its bore of more than twice the diameter of each of the two wires which are to be intertwisted. 'Ihis bore is flattened at its rear end for a length of more than twice the diameter of one of the wires, or toned bore which will slidably house two overlapped wire portions without permitting these wire portions to twist about each other within the said flattened bore portion. The confining tube 1 is mounted in the torward end of a shank 2, which shank is roliead 3 and is adapted to be rotated by suitable means, such as a crank shaft d. The shank 2 is slotted from one side back of the tube 1, as shown in Figs.

and having the main portion into a. fiat- 5 and 7, thus affording a passage for inserting one of the wires into the rear end of the confining tube 1.

The'head 3 has a mouth at its forward end and has mounted inthe said mouth suitable means for confining the overlapped wire portions forwardly of the confining tube 1, as for example pivoted clamping levers 5. In the embodiment illustrated. these levers are pivoted on pins 6 slipped into bores extending part way upward through the head 3 of the appliance,the pins being held from dropping out by a shoe 7 to which the head 1s rivete To move these levers 5 into their wireconfining position, I desirably provide these with cam formations 14: adapted to engage the forward end of the shank 2, and.mount this shank so that it can slide in the head 3 for engaging with the cam levers and forcing the latter into their wireconfining positions. To permit of this sliding, I may mount a pin 8 transversely in the head 3, which pin engages contracted part of the shank 2, so as to limit the movemerit of this shank with respect to the head. Then I desirably equip the rear end of the head 3 with lugs 9 affording handles which may be grasped by the operator forholding the head of the appliance firmly 1n position while sliding the shank 2 wlth respect to the head and while rotating the crank shaft 4. The jaws of the levers 5 are desirably slightly greater in width than the combined thickness of the two wires with which the appliance is to be used and desirably so arranged so as to approach each other by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of a single wire when the jaws are swung inward into the position shown in Fig. I by the cam action of the end of the shank 2.

In using my appliance for splicing an extension wire 10 to a wire 11, the latter is inserted through the mouth of the appliance and the entire lengthof the confining tube 1 While the operating handle is in the position of Figs. 1 and 5, or in a position in which the flattened bore portion extends vertically as in Figs. 6 and7. Then the extension wire 10 1s introduced from the rear of the head through the slot in the shank 2 and above the wire 11, with the forward end of this wire 10 extending slightly beyond the jaws of the levers 5. This is desirably done after the levers 5 have been swung to their confining positions as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that the jaws of these levers will hold the wire one above the other. Thus arranged, it will be obvious that the two wires are slidably confined at opposite ends of the main bore of the tube 1, and that the portions of the wires confined by the flattened bore portion of the tube 1 can readily be rotated with respect to those confined by the jaws, by merely rotating the crank shaft 4. Durin such rotation, the bore of the tube 1 wi I prevent the twist formed within this bore from bowing or kinking, thus insuring a straight and uniform twist which can readily be judged as to its extent by simply counting the number of rota.- tions given to the crank-shaft 4. In )ractice, I desirably give this crank-shat an odd number of half-turns, so as to end with the rear portion of the wire 10 directed downwardly, or in the same direction from the twist as the forward part of the wire 11. By doin this and instructing the operator to give tie crank of the appliance a definite number of half-turns, I can readily predetermine 'both the extent of the twist and the direction of the fee tips of the twist, even when employing inexperienced help, thus also insuring a twist of ample strength without overstraining the wire.

When the twist is finished, a backward pull on the shank 4 will slide this back to the position of Fig. 4. thus leaving the rear portions of the levers 5 free to swing inwardly. Then on pulling the tool back further with respect to the wires, the twist will engage the confining jaws as shown in Fig. 4, so as to move these to their open position, thus permitting the twist and the rear portion of the wire 10 to be drawn entirely out of the appliance. To prevent the levers 5 from swinging too far when thus moved, I desirably equip them at their rear ends with extensions 15 adapted to engage the side of the head, thereby leaving the cam portions of these levers in suitable positions for engagement by the forward end of the shank 2.

lVith a tool thus arranged, it will be obvious that the movement of the levers 5 is practically automatic. so that the operator merely needs to insert th two wires, rotate the crank to the desired extent and pull the appliance off the intcrtwisted wires, whereupon a forward sliding of the shank restores the jaws to their initial confining position. Moreover, since the wires are not gripped at either end, but only slidably confined, the same appliance may be used with wires of considerably varying diameters and the tool will still function after the parts have had considerable wear during extensive use. Where my tool is to be used for splicing extensions to the wires on wire-bound boxes, I desirably provide the shoe 7 with prongs 12 for use in raising the terminal portions of stapled wires, after the manner more fully described in my said copending appli cation, and also dispose the shoe in a plane at an angle tothe axis of the shank 2. However, while I have illustrated and described my appliance in a highly desirable embodiment, I do not wish to be limited intense a to the details of construction and arran ement here disclosed, it being obvious t at the same might be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I, claim as my invention:

1. For intertwi'stingt two longitudinally parallel wire portions, two relatively rotatable means spaced along the sald wire portions, both ofthe said means slldably housing the wires between walls spaced by less than the sum of the diameters of the wires, and twist-straightening means (llS- osed between the aforesaid means and havmg a bore approximating the said sum of the diameters.

2. In an appliance for inter-twisting two wires, a rotatable tubular member whose bore includes an end portion formed for freely housing the intertwisted portion of the proposed splice, a flattened intermediate portion formed for slidably housing two parallel wire portions while preventing relat ve rotation thereof, and another end portion opening laterally of the said member to permit the insertion of wire into the said bore.

3. In a tool for intertwisting longitudinallv overlapped portions of two wires, a rotatable member having an axial bore terminating at one end of the said member and opening into a lateral passage spaced from the said end, the said bore being contracted intermediate of its ends to a width less than twice the diameter of either of the said wires.

4. In an appliance for intertwisting longitudinally overlapped portions of two wires, a rotating member having a bore adapted to house overlapped portions of the wires, a support in which the said rotating member is both 7 rotatably and slidably mounted, and wire-confining means in alinement with the axis of the said member and responsive in operation to the sliding of the member in one direction.

5. in a wire twisting appliance, a support, a twisting member slidabl and rotatably carried thereby, and a pair of jaw levers pivoted upon the support symmetrically with respect to the axis of the rotating member, the said levers and the rotating memher having cooperating formations for'causing a sliding of the rotating member in one direction to approach the jaws of the levers to each other.

6. lln a wire twisting appliance, a support, a twisting member slidably and rotatably carried thereby, and a pair of jaw levers pivoted upon the support symmetrically with respect to the axis of the rotating member,

the said jaw levers and the rotating member having cooperating formations for causing a sliding of the rotating member in one direction to approach the jaws of the levers to each other, the rotating member having a bore housing the twist during the making thereof, and the levers having formations engaged by the twist upon a pulling of the latter out of the said bore for swinging the jaws away from each other.

7. An appliance as per claim 6, in which the jaw-levers have stop portions engaging the support to limit the said separational movement of the jaws.

8. In an appliance for intertwisting porb10118 of two wires, a twisting member, a support upon which the said member is rotatable, the support having a pair of parallel bores disposed symmetrically with respect to the axis of the twisting members, pivot pins slidably disposed in the said bores, wire-confining levers pivoted respectlvely on the said pivot members, and a shoe secured to the support and retaining the pivot pins in the said bores.

9. In an appliance for intertwisting'two wires, a twisting member, and a support upon which the said member is mounted with freedom for independent rotational and longitudinal movement, the twisting member and the support each having handle formations adapted to be grasped by the respective hands of the operator.

10. in an appliance for intertwisting two wires, a twisting member including a shank having a tubular part equipped with contracted neck portion and having a lateral recess connected to the bore of the tubular portion, a support having a bore entered by the said shank; and means within the bore of the support adapted to engage a shoulder of the said neck portion to limit the sllding of the twisting member longitudinally of the bore in the support.

I 11. In an appliance for intertwisting portrons of two wires, a support equipped for non-rotatably confining portions of the overlapped wires, and a twisting. member rotatably mounted upon the support and including a shank having a bore extending from one end thereof axially of the shank and open laterally of the latter intermedlate the ends of the shank, the shank hav ing a crank formation adjacent to its other on 12. In an appliance for intertwisting two ill) wires, a twisting member including a shank having an axial bore extending thereinto from one end thereof and having a slot extending from a side of the shank and meeting the said bore, and a tube mounted in the said bore and having the bore of the tube flattened at a distance from the end of the shank and in alinement with the said passage.

13. in a wire twisting appliance, a support, gripping means carried by the support for retaining a plurality of wires in substantially fixed and lapping relation to each other, and a tubular member mounted iao in said support independently of said griped for opening and closing movement, and ping means, said tubular member being slida twister rotatable with respect to said gripable and rotatable with respect .to the gripping means, said twister being movable toping means, and said tubular member coward and from the gripping means and co- 20 operating with gripping means for openoperating therewith for opening and closing and closing the latter upon the slidablc ing the parts by said to and fro movement. movement of said tubular member. In a wire twisting appliance, grip-- 14. In a wir twisting appliance, gripping means including parts adapted for relping means including parts adapted for ative opening and closing movement, a slid- 25 o ening and closing movement, and a slid-, ing member positioned for contact with a le and rotatable twister co-operable durgripping means to 0 en or close the parts ing said slidable movement with the said thereof upon the sli ing movement of said gripping means for opening and closing the member, and a second member rotatable latter. with respect to the gri ping means.

15. In a wire twisting appliance, a sup- Signed at Chicago, arch 26th, 1919. port, gripping means including parts adapt- JOHN SHERMAN MCCHESNEY. 

